The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1997
Linda G Cima, Lexington, MA (US);
Edward W Merrill, Belmont, MA (US);
Philip R Kuhl, Arlington, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Disclosed are compositions with tethered growth effector molecules, and methods of using these compositions for growing cells and tissues. Growth effector molecules, including growth factors and extracellular matrix molecules, are flexibly tethered to a solid substrate. The compositions can be used either in vitro or in vivo to grow cells and tissues. By tethering the growth factors, they will not diffuse away from the desired location. By making the attachment flexible, the growth effector molecules can more naturally bind to cell surface receptors. A significant feature of these compositions and methods is that they enhance the biological response to the growth factors. The new method also offers other advantages over the traditional methods, in which growth factors are delivered in soluble form: (1) the growth factor is localized to a desired target cell population; (2) significantly less growth factor is needed to exert a biologic response. This method can be used for enhancing the therapeutic use of growth factors in vivo and creating surfaces which will enhance in vitro growth of difficult-to-grow cells such as liver cells.